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How Penny Hardaway, Memphis basketball can cool off red-hot Wichita State

"I'm soaking all of this in," Hardaway said after the Tigers' 85-74 win over Wichita State on Jan. 3. "I'm not taking anything for granted. ... We have great coaches in this league and Gregg Marshall — you know what his history is and what his résumé is about. So to get a win over a guy like that, it feels good."

Fifty-one days later, with the Shockers now 6-7 in the AAC, nothing has changed for Hardaway.

He still has tremendous respect for Marshall — who also granted Memphis freshman Alex Lomax a release from his letter of intent — and it's why he expects a much more difficult challenge when the Tigers travel to Charles Koch Arena Saturday.

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Memphis Tigers forward Kyvon Davenport celebrates a fast break dunk by his team over the Wichita State Shockers during their game at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers guards Tyler Harris, center, and his teammate Alex Lomax celebrate a fast break basket against the Wichita State Shockers during their game at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers forward Kyvon Davenport battles for a rebound with Wichita State Shockers forward Jamarius Burton during their game at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers Assistant Coach Mike Miller talks to his team during a timeout in their game against the Wichita State Shockers at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers forward Kyvon Davenport lays the ball up over Wichita State Shockers forward Markis McDuffie during their game at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers Head Coach Anfernee Hardaway talks to his team during a timeout in their game against the Wichita State Shockers at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers guard Kareem Brewton Jr. lays the ball up on a fast break against the Wichita State Shockers during their game at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers forward Kyvon Davenport gestures over to his teammates after hitting a 3-pointer against the Wichita State Shockers during their game at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Tigers forward Kyvon Davenport makes a 3-pointer over shoots the ball over Wichita State Shockers forward Markis McDuffie during their game at the FedExForum on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal

"They have a culture that's been set by all the winning teams that they've had in the past, and this has been (Marshall's) toughest year in a long time," Hardaway said Wednesday. "But he's found a way to win the last four out of five. ... He still feels like he's right there."

That same night, Marshall's team made it five wins out of its last six, blasting Tulsa by 21 points on the road, a place where the Tigers were beaten handily.

"It's going to be tough," Hardaway added, "because they play hard for him and they have that history of winning."

Stopping Markis McDuffie

There's no question who the most productive player in the AAC has been over the last month; That title belongs to Tigers senior Jeremiah Martin.

But the Shockers have a superstar of their own, Markis McDuffie, who averages the exact same points per game (18.3) as Martin. McDuffie scored 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting in the first meeting.

The Wichita State senior is averaging 17.6 points over the last month, and his team is 6-4 when the forward scores over 20 points.

In the first matchup, Memphis forced 14 turnovers to race in front and hold a double-digit lead. Look for the Tigers to do the same Saturday and try to keep the ball out of McDuffie's hands.

Getting to the free-throw line

Several early trips to the free-throw line would be a positive sign for the Tigers, who outscored Wichita State 25-6 from the charity stripe in the first matchup.

Wichita State has been the worst team in the AAC at drawing foul shots, a definite flaw because the Shockers boast the best free-throw percentage of any team in the conference in league games (76.4).

Memphis is being fouled on 34.7 percent of its field goal attempts and has converted on 71 percent of its shots from the line.

Unsurprisingly, Martin has been the Tigers best player at drawing fouls, ranking in the top 40 in the nation in free-throw attempts.

First-round bye, staying in front

While Memphis is still in the running for a first-round bye and a top-four spot in the AAC Tournament, Saturday's game is also a critical opportunity for Wichita State to continue its climb in the conference standings.

The Shockers are 1.5 games behind the Tigers with five games to play, and Marshall's team closes against the bottom four teams in the league (UConn, SMU, ECU and Tulane).

Memphis (16-11, 8-6) is fifth in the conference standings, 1.5 games behind Temple and UCF, which are 9-4 in the AAC.